


Blue House

by alex4968



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: F/M, M/M, RIP me, this is so sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-20
Updated: 2016-08-20
Packaged: 2018-08-09 20:52:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7816825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alex4968/pseuds/alex4968
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The second ending of In The Heat of The Moment. They remember.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Blue House

The days leading up to his death were pretty – no one saw it coming. Except Zayn, of course.

It was with a whisper that Liam went away.

He knew from the moment Zayn looked at him with the panicked, fear ridden gaze in his eyes that something wasn’t right – that something bad was going to happen. So maybe he knew that that was the day to be his last, or maybe he didn’t expect it.

Zayn touched him more that day than he usually did, always had a hand on his back and led him to sit when he thought it was necessary. Liam knew. “Zayn, why are you being so fragile with me?” He asked that morning over coffee, the both of them sitting in the same chairs they’d been sitting in for the last two decades.

“No reason.” But he knew his husband for a liar better than anyone else.

“It’s something. What is it?”

“I can’t –“ Liam frowned.

“Okay.” Pause. “It’s one of _their_ rules isn’t it?”

“Liam – please just –“

“Is it me? Isabell? Someone in the family?”

“Please just –“

“Okay. I’ll stop.” He knew there were things Zayn couldn’t speak about. He knew when people were going to die – that was all a part of being what he was. But he only knew they were going to when it was something he wasn’t going to be able to stop. When it was something natural instead of caused by stupidity.

His nerves were buzzing.

He could only pray it wasn’t going to be Isabell.

 

When she came downstairs, they all decided the three of them would stay together and watch a movie for a while. Zayn eventually seemed to calm down and it helped Liam calm down, too. Everything felt natural when he was sitting beside the man he loved laughing at shitty jokes on television.

He had an arm around his husband, eyes glancing down to the ring on his hand just for a moment before the little smile came over his face.

Things like that never failed to make him happy – little memories of the things that they had done together as ZaynandLiam instead of separate. He took every single second with Zayn for granted – and he knew that. Every second he had with Zayn he considered a good one. There was nothing he could see himself wanting to change about their situation.

Even if the other man hadn’t really aged a day since they’d fallen in love, after a discussion with their daughter on her thirteenth birthday about it – everything felt alright.

“Dad, what do you want to do for your birthday?” She asked after the credits on their film started rolling. “I took the day off of work so we could all just hang out. If you want. I mean.” He couldn’t help the smile pulling at his cheeks when she said that.

“You know I love spending time with you sweet heart. You don’t even have to ask.”

“We should do something, though, love.” Zayn chimed in after a moment, but he could see the strain in his face. It brought the nerves back again – but he knew he couldn’t do anything about it. It wasn’t worth worrying about something that he didn’t know what was going to happen. Zayn couldn’t tell him even if he wanted to.

So he ignored it.

Zayn went to bed first that night, retreating off with mentioning a headache. Liam decided not to think much of it. So he and Isabell stayed downstairs, both of them really just playing on their phones even though there was a show playing on the screen in front of them – it was something they had in common. Being in each other’s company without needing to talk wasn’t awkward. He assumed she inherited it from him.

“Hey, dad?” She spoke up after a moment.

“What’s up?” He asked, setting his phone face down on his thigh.

“I’ve been kind of waiting to tell you alone because I know dad is going to freak out –“ and he furrowed his eyebrows, panic suddenly rising in his chest. _Was she going to die?!_ “No – no don’t look like that. C’mon. You’re supposed to be the calm one!” He exhaled when she laughed. So it wasn’t anything too serious.

“Okay… Come on then, lay it on me.”

“Well… David proposed to me a few days before I came out here.” He blinked. Okay. He figured that because of the ring on her finger, but he’d assumed she’d mention that when she was ready. It could have just been some kind of promise ring. But. It wasn’t. His heart suddenly felt like it could beat normally again. “And I’m eleven weeks pregnant.” He coughed, nearly choking on his own spit.

“What?”

“What?” She said with an embarrassed little laugh.

“You’re pregnant?!”

“Yeah – yeah. I am.” He suddenly felt tears in his eyes, the smile taking over his face as she hugged him.

“I’m so happy for you, love. So happy. You’re going to be a wonderful mum, and David is going to be an awesome dad. You guys are going to be great.”

“Dad, you’re not supposed to cry.” She said with a pout.

“M’baby is all grown up.”

“I’ve been grown up, dad. For like. Six years.”

“I know but – oh man. I’m gonna be a grandpa!”

“Yeah.” She was smiling, too, her hands suddenly resting on her stomach. “Now how do we tell dad?”

“Oh – _oh._ Well. Maybe just casually mention it?”

“Yeah, great idea. ‘hey dad want some cream in your coffee im pregnant or maybe sugar?’ would blow over wonderfully.” They laughed together a moment, the show still going unnoticed.

“It’s not like he’s going to be upset. He’s probably going to be ecstatic, love. You know how much he gets excited when there are babies involved.”

“You’re right – I don’t know why I’m so worried.”

“Let’s head to bed, yeah? You can think about ways to tell him in the morning.”

“Alright. Love you, see you in the morning.”

 

Liam went as quietly as death could take him.  

Zayn kept him in bed that next morning, kissing him more than he had in quite some time and laying on top of him when he said he wanted to get up. Zayn just leaned his head on his chest, his eyes falling shut as their hands went together.

“It’s me. It’s me, isn’t it?” Zayn’s grip tightened on his hand. He just stared at the ceiling.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

 

He didn’t wake up again. Didn’t leave that bed again. It was all there one moment and the next it was gone – replaced with white and gentle whispers in his ear.

“Liam – Liam, baby, wake up. It’s me. It’s Zayn.” When he opened his eyes, he was greeted with a soft smile from his favorite person. He looked at his hands and found them without the wrinkles he’s grown used to having. Everything was white and he was in a room he’d never seen before.

Words wouldn’t come – instead he cried.

It was overwhelming, but Zayn’s hand holding to his own was keeping him grounded.

“Shh, it’s okay. It’s okay.” Zayn spoke softly, wiping the tears away as they came. “I know it’s hard. It’ll be okay. Come on, I have to take you to be assigned.”

“Assigned?”

“Yeah. I know it’s – hard to like… think about it. But you have to get a job. Like mine – or like Harry’s. But aurora’s promise was that you can stay with me in this part of the world. So we won’t be separated.” He nodded.

As they walked outside, Liam had to blink the brightness away.

It was exactly how he’d imagined heaven to be.

Everything was clean and beautiful. The architecture looked ancient but maintained – which made sense, really. There was _grass._ All the plants were such a vivid, beautiful shade of green that he couldn’t recall seeing on earth. The whites were all so _white_ and every other color was just so pristine. There were clouds in the sky – but not rain clouds – that were hiding a little more than half of the sun.

The room they’d walked out of was attached to a larger building with arching walk ways and an open patio with canopy trees. It was hard to take everything in.

“What do you see?” Zayn asked after a moment, a little smile on his face.

“Lots of green. The colors are pretty.” Zayn was a quiet a while longer, silently allowing him to continue. “The buildings look older. Nothing looks too modern. There’s a few clouds in the sky, but white ones. The road is stone.”

“Everyone sees what their idea of beauty and happiness is. We can share what we see eventually. You just have to be here a little longer. I can’t wait to see yours.” He was smiling again.

“What do you see?”

“You’ll see.”

 

Liam was assigned to something similar to Harry. His special talent of not being able to have his thoughts read left him with a job that would eventually allow him to be on the council. Zayn was beyond happy for him – and they stayed together in their home that night in a shared bed when Liam realized something was wrong.

He sat up with a gasp and Zayn quickly sat up, too, glancing to him with a worried expression. He could hear his thoughts – could tell he was panicking.

“Isabell is pregnant.” He could feel the tears threatening to spill over. Zayn was silent, staring at him with an open mouth and a confused expression.

“What?”

“She – she told me right after you went to bed. She wasn’t going to tell you until morning.”

“I –“ Zayn put a hand over his mouth. “It’s still night in human hours. I suppose I have to go back and have someone um.” He wasn’t going to say it. Liam understood. “I’ll be there for her. I imagine losing a parent is hard.”

“Will I be allowed to see her again?”

“I don’t know how long they’ll keep you from earth. Maybe.” The tears spilled over, finally. Zayn kissed him again and they went to sleep, together, tangled in each other’s arms.

Liam understood when he woke up without Zayn’s arms around him.

 

There was a knock on the door by mid after noon, but shortly after the knock, Harry walked inside and sat on the couch with him.

He blinked.

“Oh, I live next door. Did Zayn really not tell you that? What a prat.” Harry shook his head.

“Hi, Harry.”

“Hi, Liam. I’m sorry to see you here. But I’m also happy! Less travelling to see you. You know I quite like you – but commuting all the way to earth does give me quite the headache.”

“Harry.”

“Sorry.”

“What brings you over, then?” He wasn’t sure what to say, and he was really still just adjusting to the whole… _being dead_ thing.

“I wanted to tell you something that I’m not sure Zayn had a chance to tell you about just yet.”

“Okay…”

“Well, follow me, then.”

“Harry, I can’t just – I need to change.” The other man just quirked an eyebrow.

“All you have to do is think about what you want to be wearing and you’ll be wearing it.” He furrowed his eyebrows, almost disbelieving until he visualized himself wearing jeans and one of the t-shirts Zayn always stole from him.

He couldn’t help the look when it actually managed to just… _appear_ on him. Harry laughed at him and he felt his face flush hot.

“Being dead is so weird.”

“Yeah, it is.” Pause. “Come with me, then.”

 

He followed. They walked slowly, by Liam’s pace, which Harry was happy to oblige with. He was sure Harry understood at least somewhat that he was still trying to take in how everything looked and where everything was.

Liam led him into another building and down a series of hallways until they stopped in front of a door with an OPEN sign on it. There was one beside it with the closed sign illuminated. Harry opened the door without a word and walked inside, touching the screen and typing a few words into the large screen on the wall.

When everything came clear, the pixels turning to a higher definition, he couldn’t stop the tears from spilling over.

It was Isabell, sitting on Zayn’s lap as she cried. Zayn was petting her hair, trying to be encouraging. “He’s probably looking down on us right now thinking we’re proper daft for being upset, yeah?” Zayn said with a grin tucked into the girl’s shoulder as he glanced up. It wasn’t right into the area he could see, but it was close enough.

Liam couldn’t help but laugh softly through his tears.

Harry had a hand on his shoulder. It was keeping him from losing it, he thought.

“You can see anyone you want here. I’m sure you’ll spend most of your time watching her, but if you chose to go to anyone else, you just have to type their name in and it will register that they had a relationship with you and pull up the right person.”

“Thank you. Thank you so much Harry I –“

“Zayn told me to do this when you… well when you finally died. Right after you two adopted your daughter he knew it would tear you up when you finally did pass and she was left there alone. So he asked me to do this for you. It was his idea, don’t thank me.”

“Can I just come here whenever I want?”

“Yeah. As long as you’re not supposed to be working – which for you won’t start for quite some time. So yeah, you should be able to watch the baby being born and everything. Even if you can’t be there with them physically… you can still be with them, you know?”

“Thank you.” Harry gave a little nod and decided to take that moment to leave.

Liam felt a little odd just sitting and watching their conversation, but he couldn’t help it. He missed Isabell already.

“Dad?” She asked after a long moment of sitting on Zayn’s lap in silence.

“Yeah, babe?”

“All of that stuff you told me about you never aging and never dying – does that mean dad can come back and be with me, too?”

“I don’t know sweetheart. There are a lot of rules we have to follow and obey. It might be a while before he can come down here, if he can at all.”

“Oh.”

“I’m sorry, love. But I know he misses you dearly.”

“Does this mean you’re going to leave, too?” Zayn was quiet for a long while, the tears building up in his own eyes as he held her tighter.

“I won’t be around as often, no. I will come see you as much as you want me, though. Alright? The baby being born, your wedding, all the baby’s birthdays, all your birthdays, holidays… I’ll come see you. But you’re going to have your own little family soon and you’re going to be able to have a life of your own and live and thrive on and enjoy. Yeah?” She was crying again and Zayn was threading his fingers through her hair.

“Yeah, okay.”

“I want to stay here with you, babe, I do. But your dad needs me too yeah?” Liam had to bite his lip. David didn’t know Zayn was Isabell’s second father since he was so much younger physically than Liam. He was actually physically younger than Isabell now. She just nodded. “I love you so, so, so much. I really do, baby. Okay?”

“I love you too, dad.”

“I’ll come visit soon. But I’m going to stay here until David comes and gets you, then. Okay?” Another nod. “Remember I’m always looking out for you, too, okay?”

“Okay.”

Liam turned it off, then, and started his walk back home. He knew he was crying, he knew everyone could see that he was crying. But no one bothered him about it, even the people who walked by and saw it.

 

Zayn was back a few hours later.

“Did Harry show you the screen room?”

“Yeah. Your little speech to Bells was great.” Zayn smiled softly.

“I think she’ll be okay. We’re gonna be okay, too.”

“Yeah. Of course.”

 

They were alright. They were more than alright. Everything went perfectly as the months on. Zayn went home as he promised and Liam always watched from the screen room. Liam was promised to have access to earth before their grandson was a teenager. She’s named him James in his memory and, of course, Liam had cried again.

Zayn had woken him up that morning with a happy smile and dragged him out of bed and to their front yard.

“Okay. We can see each other’s now.”

“Really?” He asked with a grin.

“You first.” Zayn said and held Liam’s hand tightly, their fingers together as Zayn concentrated with his eyes closed until he opened them and he was smiling again.

“It’s beautiful. Like. I can see this all being your little imagination of happiness. It’s so _you.”_ Liam glanced over with a grin, kissing Zayn softly. He was so happy.

“Can I see yours now?” The other man just nodded and closed his eyes again. Liam closed his and waited until Zayn told him to open them.

When he did, he was greeted with what had once been their little neighborhood. There was a park that Zayn had done another mural on, their street with their little blue house, and even the mailbox that they’d let Isabell paint on when she was just seven.

He had no words in that moment, but when Zayn wrapped his arms around him and kissed softly at the nape of his neck, he wasn’t sure he’d ever felt any happier.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope everyone is happy with this one :)


End file.
